By: Newscount
According to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio
I received in courtesy, the leadership of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) led by the National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, in my office. I was also joined by the leadership of the Senate to receive the Forum’s leadership.
The PANDEF leadership were in my office to formally inform me and by extension, the Senate, on the demise of our father and patriot, Pa Edwin Clark, who died on Monday.
We agreed to send a strong delegation to come and condole with you, condole with the immediate family and the good people of Ijaw nation, Niger Delta as a whole and other Nigerians and for the Senate to take part in all the burial activities. So we intend to be there.
We have received the news now formally and I want to thank you for the honour that you have done to the National Assembly by coming as a delegation to let us know that yes indeed, our father is gone. The father of Nigeria. One of those who have made Nigeria what it is.
I assured the delegation of our total readiness to cooperate with them and all well meaning Nigerians and because this is a great loss to Nigeria, not just to the Niger Delta region.
Pa Edwin Clark was not just any Nigerian. He was a Pan Africanist. We described him as an iconic leader. We described him also as a detrabilised Nigerian who fought particularly for the welfare of the minorities across Nigeria, not just in the Niger Delta.
He wanted a better country. He wanted an inclusive country. He wanted a country where every minority could have a sense of belonging and say yes, this is my country. I am proud of my country.
And today to hear that at the age of 97, almost 98, he lived with his principles intact and on his passage, all he could mutter was ‘I love Nigeria,’ ‘I am a Nigerian.’ I think one can write PhD thesis out of that. That was the summary of his life. From the time he was born, until the time he left.
That exclamation was to remind you and all of us alive that we must continue to exhibit the best virtues. We must not lose faith no matter what is happening. No matter the travails that we are passing through today. We must love Nigeria. We must believe in Nigeria.
